Journalism Ethics Conference, Reuters Institute, University of Oxford

Call for Paper Abstracts

Journalism Ethics: Individual, institutional or cultural?

The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford is seeking abstracts of papers for possible presentation at its conference, “Journalism Ethics: Individual, institutional or cultural?, September 27-28, 2012.

The conference will explore whether journalism ethics are individually, institutionally or cultural based, links between ethics and professionalism, the efficacy of organisational promotion ethical values, and tensions between ethics, freedom, and informational needs.

Abstracts of papers are sought on topics such as:

• How do ethics and journalistic standards differ?
• Do journalistic practices promote ethics?
• Can you be a professional journalist without ethics?
• Does regulation reduce ethical thinking and behaviour?
• Do press councils and complaint commissions promote ethics or compliance?
• Do ombudsmen and reader’s representative promote ethics or protect news organisations?
• Is ethical thinking related to journalist’s unions or independent societies of journalists?
• Can news organisations be ethical or only journalists?
• Can ethical decision-making practices be integrated in news organizations?
• Are journalism ethics universal or influenced by national cultures?
• Have historical journalism developments influenced journalism ethics?
• Can ethical practices reduce press freedom?
• Do ethical practices reduce public oversight of society?

300-500 word abstracts outlining the topic, approach and theoretical bases should be submitted by April 1, 2012. Notification of selected abstracts will be made by April 15.

Submissions should be sent electronically or by post to:

Prof. Robert G. Picard

Director of Research

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism

University of Oxford

Oxford OX2 6PS United Kingdom

robert.picard@politics.ox.ac.uk